Whole
by grayrhapsody
Summary: She had been missing something that was seemingly there the entire time.


Assuming that the time setting for Spirited Away was in 2001 like the time it was released, I'm going to go from there and set this story in 2010. Additionally, I'm going to try and keep this story as close as possible to what Miyazaki stated about the wonderful movie. :)

Chihiro passed by the Kohaku River daily on her way to school as a sophomore in college. Although it was first dried out for an apartment complex time ago, a petition had passed through nearly at the same time Chihiro moved to the area for school, and water flowed through once more. And every time she would stroll by, it seemed as if her eyes would stick like glue to the beautiful, clear water, sparkling down a steady current. The clear water seemed to reflect an empty portion of her heart, her soul, and her life. And sometimes, she noticed a shadow rush through the river in the blink of an eye, but she never thought much of it. Her mom had spoken once about how she fell into the river once as a young child, but strangely enough, she felt no fear at all when passing by. Quite ironically, she felt pulled to the water. It was somewhat enticing.

Chihiro had many routines, actually. She would always wake up, comb through her hair, and tie the long locks up with a hair tie. Looking back on the accessory, she never really remembered where she got it, or why she chose to use it continuously day after day, but it was wearing out anyways. It would probably break soon. She took the same route to school, the roads that weren't sketchy nor populated, and leaned toward a quieter life than most. It was weird because she would not have taken unpopulated roads to school if she were the same girl before her move to a new town at the age of ten. Something had changed suddenly when her family had rested at a supposedly abandoned theme park, but nothing came to mind no matter how much she thought about it.

It was as if a part of her was locked away in another world.

* * *

Her routine today was a bit altered. A boy had asked her to stay after class for a bit, because he had something to tell her. It wasn't the first time that this had happened to her. Chihiro knew what was coming in the back of her mind. He had asked her if she wanted to go on a date with him sometime. He said that he liked her and had admired her from afar for a long period of time. But the straightforward person she was, although flattered, Chihiro rejected his feelings kindly, and when he asked why, she gave him the same answer she had given to those who had asked her before.

"My heart isn't complete."

And then the boys who had told her that they liked her would begin to think that she thought too much about things or was overly sensitive, and distanced themselves from her rather quickly. But she didn't mind at all. She liked speaking from her heart, and speaking what she believed to be true.

This particular day, Chihiro decided to stop by and sit on the grassy river bank where her empty heart yearned more earnestly than usual to be full. Her routine had already been broken, anyways - it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of time to herself. Staring at the sparkling water, she felt as if a force had pulled her closer, and soon enough, her hand was running through the cold, crisp liquid. She stayed in the same position for a while, pulling out her hand and glancing at it time to time, wondering why the coolness felt extra refreshing her skin.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, she checked the time. It was already early evening, and she decided that it was time to go back home and work on that project that was due soon, even if she didn't exactly want to leave. Staying by the river left Chihiro feeling somewhat melancholy and peaceful simultaneously. She stood up, wanting to fix her hair quickly, and pulled the hair tie out, leaving her bouncy, long tresses to cascade down her back. And when she put her hands back to tie it up again, the tie snapped.

She knew that it was going to break eventually, but what she hadn't expected was what happened next.

As the tie fell to the ground, it reflected an exuberant light and began to shine with the utmost luminescence, hovering in mid-air. The light blinded her eyes. Chihiro was suddenly compelled to look towards the river, and the water, too, began to radiate a soft light, steadily growing in intensity. The hair tie then suddenly burst, spreading flecks of what looked like golden dust everywhere. And in its wake, she noticed that she was standing in someone's shadow.

Eyebrows furrowed, she looked up hesitantly, and her eyes widened, pulse quickening and stomach churning in a foreign, yet vaguely familiar, feeling. A young man, tall, lean, but strong, stood in front of her. Chihiro inhaled slowly, feeling like her heart would burst at any moment. Her stomach was still churning around and the right fist she was holding against her chest tightened. He was wearing a white and green haori and hakama. The man's hair was olive green, long, and straight. It was loosely tied with a string...she looked closer.

A string that looked uncannily like the hair tie that had just broken.

Chihiro never felt so much more alive than this moment. The stranger's face graced a warm smile, as if he had been expecting this all along. His arm was extended, and his palm lay facing up a few inches away from hers. Words that someone would usually say in this bizarre situation clogged up in her throat, and she immediately, without second thought, but her small hand in his warm palm. His hand fit hers like a glove.

In a large wave of memories, the emptiness she had been feeling for so long had begun to fill up. Her pulse still sped up, and her eyes widened slowly while staring at their intertwined hands. A young boy, with the same features as the young man in front of her, had taken her same hand numerous times before. The young boy had saved her. The young boy had smiled at her. The young boy loved her. The young boy _completed_ her.

Her eyes began to brim up with tears, and she stifled her sniffles. Chihiro didn't know where to start. He fulfilled his promise. He would always be with her. He would meet her time and time again.

"Kohaku..." It came out as a whisper, almost inaudible, but he could hear her.

Their grip tightened. So did both their hearts.

A vivid childhood once forgotten had been revived and relived in mere seconds, and the passion overwhelmed her.

"Kohaku..." She repeated, finally gathering the courage to look up.

That one name was all that occupied her mind presently.

It was him. Taller, slightly built, and with more developed facial features, but it was him. Upon taking all of this in, a humongous grin erupted on her cheeks and tears streamed down her face.

"Kohaku!"

The said person pulled her in for a tight embrace. His hands were lost in her soft, long locks and he held her tight.

"Chihiro," he sighed, not wanting to say that he 'missed' her, because it just would not suffice.

Her stomach churned when her name rolled off of his lips. His voice had deepened, but Kohaku's familiar tone from nine years ago had remained.

"I don't know how this happened," Chihiro confessed, all the while smiling, "but I'm so glad that it did," she finished, cuddling into his chest.

"Chihiro," Kohaku started, pulling away gently and grabbing her attention, "I don't have much time up here right now. Is it okay with you if we go back to my world at least for now?"

She pondered about his question for a few seconds. It was the very world that she tried to escape from years ago. Her parents...

"If I don't go, does that mean I won't ever get to see you again?" she phrased carefully.

His eyes turned downcast and then he looked to the river.

Chihiro gulped and gripped onto his large hand firmly.

"I'll go."

Kohaku smiled, pulled her close to him, and the couple jumped into the river.


End file.
